Derek entered the embassy through the front door, buzzed through to the staff stairs and raced to his room quickly. He would need to know the protocols, which he had on his computer but had not memorized. It also occurred to him that he should get a message to C, and should do it before he contacted the head of security here just in case the conspiracy was bigger than he already knew. The problem was getting a message through. He could contact the CIA at the American Embassy, but the protocols to do that were going to be time consuming, and he did not have time. He decided to send an e-mail. He had the address of Cís secretary, so he decided to write to her.

Dear Aunt Mandy. Itís your nephew Kyler Bryant, writing from his boring post in Romania. I think Iíve learned what I came to learn and would love it if I could come home soon, but I expect it wonít happen that quickly. I had coffee today with a member of the security detail, named Richard Williams. Nice guy, oversees Ambassador Morrisí daughter Samanthaís detail and helps her with her love life. He gives her candy for her boyfriend and lets them get a bit of time alone together. I hope heís all rightóhe didnít look well when I left him. Well, give Uncle C my best, and tell him I hope to see him soon.

Hopefully that would get through all right. Next he reviewed his protocols, memorized the essential ones.

He was just about to shut down when he realized that there was one more thing he could do. He would need Williamsí file, and a few lines of code, and a quick send, and that should do it.

There is a behind-the-writings look at the thoughts, influences, and ideas of this chapter, along with twenty other sequential chapters of this novel, in mark Joseph "young" web log entry #257: Verser Relationships. Given a moment, this link should take you directly to the section relevant to this chapter. It may contain spoilers of upcoming chapters.